Category: Lectio (Page 24 of 32)

Stop and smell the roses!

February 18, 2016 / MSFriend / 1 Comment

Stop and smell the roses!

Stop and smell the roses! On Saturday February 13, 2016, I began my morning in prayer as I usually do. First, the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office). I downloaded the Divine Office “app” to my phone so instead of reading it, I use it as a meditation. I plug my headphones in and close my eyes to listen as the prayers are read. As I listened, Exodus 3:1-20 was read. Verses 1-3 spoke to me: Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father in law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the Lord appeared to him in fire, flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight and see why the bush is not burned.” This last sentence made my heart skip a beat. A true “aha” moment because the remarkable sight Moses stopped to look at was God communicating with him – through that I realized that all the remarkable sights I have experienced in my life were God speaking to me. Most recently, the hummingbird feeding out of the palm of my hand (Hummingbird), the cedar waxwings gathering material for a nest, the great horned owl perched atop a tree in my front yard, the vegetables growing in my garden, the sap of sugar maples pouring into buckets hanging off their trunks – all these things and more, which I’ve had the privilege of witnessing are God speaking to me. I’ve had the privilege because as busy as I get I make time to just be and savor the beauty of God’s creation. It certainly takes practice to put things on hold knowing that they’ll still be there tomorrow, but there will ALWAYS be something to do tomorrow. Nothing is ever really finished! So why not take time today to nourish the soul?! This is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. We can learn so much from the remarkable sights God uses to speak to us. I, for one, have learned more about patience, persistence, perseverance, obedience and trust, just to name a few. Moses’ words made me realize that whatever I perceive to be remarkable I must “go over to look at” because it’s God’s way of getting my attention. It’s God’s way of telling me: “Hey you, look over here, stop and smell the roses!”

As I continued with my prayer on Saturday, I moved on to another app pray as you go (hey, if you’re going to give in to the latest technology, you might as well use it for good!) – there I listened and meditated on the Gospel of Luke 4:1-13 which talks about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. The message of Exodus couldn’t be any clearer in this Gospel. After reading the passage, the narrator of the app posed an interesting question: does it surprise you that Jesus was tempted in such a way? Couldn’t he have carried out his mission in a more spectacular way? He goes on to say: Jesus seems to believe His father wants Him to work in quieter, more hidden ways. Think of ways Jesus is working in your life – is He present there with noise and spectacle or is He working in more discreet ways, ways that may often be overlooked by the unobservant.

Two different readings with a similar message: Jesus, in his constant humility, chooses to reveal Himself to us in subtle yet powerful ways. Don’t miss out simply because you have “things to do.” Whenever you come across something that grabs your attention, that moves you heart and soul, don’t ignore it, don’t overlook it – be observant and allow God to speak to you through the remarkable, as he did with Moses. There’s a message waiting, a lesson to be learned in that “remarkable sight.” Go over to look! God bless you!

The Presentation of the Lord

February 2, 2016 / MSFriend / 0 Comments

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple for consecration “as it was written in the law.” As I read the verse in Luke 2:22-38 I was moved by the words used to describe Simeon – “righteous” and “devout” and then the description of Anna – “she never left the temple.”

Simeon realized upon setting eyes on Jesus that He was indeed the Messiah everyone had been waiting for and Simeon immediately embraced Him. Anna knew this too and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child “to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” These people were “tuned in.”. Their spirits were “turned on.” Theirs lives were focused on prayer, on righteousness, on contemplation. They were able to “recognize” Jesus in their midst because their lives revolved around waiting for Him. They were consistent, they were steadfast, they were trusting and they were patient. We all know how the story ends, so by now we know that Simeon and Anna were right. They were right about the Messiah and they were right about His destiny. All because they were “in tune.”

How does this Gospel speak to us in our day? What does it mean to be devout and righteous? How can we become like Simeon and Anna? To be devout means to show deep religious feeling or commitment. To be devout requires commitment, commitment to God and His word. To be righteous requires high moral standards. In today’s world of hustle and bustle both of these things present a challenge that not too many of us are willing to tackle. We’re either too busy, too tired or too skeptical. We live in a self-centered, self-absorbed society where many are not willing to try anything that takes us out of our comfort zone. The ways of the world often call into question our righteousness. Often we are tempted and forced to make decisions that challenge our moral standards. The characters in this Gospel are examples of how we are to live our lives in order to maintain a deep relationship with our Lord, in order for us to be devout and righteous and remain “in tune.” We are called to live committed to the Lord, understanding that despite our free will, we should live in total dependence on Him, seeking his counsel and guidance, doing what pleases Him, trusting Him in all things and praising Him always with grateful hearts for His Presence within and around us each day. Why? Because this is what is going to bring us abundant peace and joy. After all, scripture says “He came so that we might have life and have it to the full!” Some translations mention “and have it more abundantly.” Do you think it means an abundance of material things or do you think it means the abundance of peace and joy that comes with knowing Christ more intimately? I believe it’s the latter.

We are told that Anna never left the temple. Maybe physically she did but spiritually and emotionally her heart was set on God no matter where she was. That’s what’s expected of us. When we wake in the morning – praise Him, when we have tough decisions to make throughout the day – ask for his guidance, when we receive good news – thank Him, when we receive bad news – ask for His mercy and grace. In all we do , we should put Him first. This is how the Spirit within usbecomes manifest, as in Simeon. This is how we begin to tap into the divine within us. Simeon and Anna were signs of hope in their day. We must be signs of hope in our day. Share your faith with those who are lacking, teach them about the source of your joy. Remain steadfast, commit to the Lord, embrace Him as Simeon did and allow His presence to envelope you! God bless you!